Brooklyn Today: March 5, 2012

Brooklyn Today: March 5, 2012

Good morning. Today is the 65th day of the year. It is the anniversary (1770) of the Boston Massacre, a skirmish between British troops and an unruly crowd of colonists who were protesting what they considered unfair taxation measures instituted by the British. Five men were killed and six were injured by British troops commanded by Capt. Thomas Preston. The incident further contributed to the unpopularity of the British regime in the colonies in the years before the American Revolution.

Well-known people who were born today include actress Samantha Eggar (“Anna and the King”), actor Michael Warren (“Hill Street Blues”) and former football player and actor Fred Williamson (“Julia”).

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This evening at 6:30 p.m., the Economic Development/Waterfront Committee of Community Board 6 will meet at Red Hook Initiative, 767 Hicks St. There will be a presentation with representatives for the Port Authority of New York on recent management changes at the Red Hook Container Port.

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According to the New York Post, a broken elevator in an East Flatbush housing project forced firefighters to climb 20 stories of stairs to rescue an 89-year-old woman from her burning apartment. The firefighters had to carry hoses and equipment up the stairs to battle the flames. The fire was started by an overloaded power strip in her apartment.

According to The Local, residents of Classon Avenue in Fort Greene are calling for a ban on left turns from Atlantic Avenue onto Classon going northbound. They don’t want their street to become a through route for fans leaving the Barclays Center once the 19,000-seat arena opens this fall. Residents of Classon Avenue, Lexington Avenue and Quincy Street have collected a thousand signatures on petitions calling for a ban on left turns. A few hundred extra cars along Classon Avenue could double the traffic volume on the street, says The Local.

Today from 1 to 2 p.m., Joseph Dorinson, Long Island University history professor and civic activist, will speak on the history of the New York Mets at the Kings Bay YM-YWHA, 3495 Nostrand Ave., according to Sheepshead Bites. Dorinson’s lecture, called “Here Come the Mets,” will trace the franchise’s history from its early “lovable loser” days through its championship years with managers Gil Hodges and Davey Johnson through their present-day struggles.